


Take Your Creatures To Work Day

by flightinflame



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Creature Fic, Cute, Fluff, Living in Newt Scamander's Suitcase, M/M, Nifflers, Protective Original Percival Graves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 08:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10635666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: With Newt spending time in the medical wing to recover from injuries inflicted by Grindelwald's supporters, Percival finds himself babysiting





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Lourdesdeath for proofreading this and fixing innumerable typos and poorly phrased sentences

It turned out that the most annoying part of your partner being kidnapped by a pack of Grindelwald supporters wasn’t the kidnapping. That was definitely the most frightening part, but not the most annoying. Nor was it the fifty hours of searching to get him back, or the injuries he had when you found him – those were the most painful and most worrying moments, not the most annoying. The most annoying came a few hours later, when he is sitting on your spare chair, looking half unconscious, an occamy cuddled up beside the niffler on his lap.  
“Thank you Percival.” Newt said softly, smiling at Percival fondly. Percival shook his head.  
“Could hardly leave you. Someone needs to feed the nundu, and she can’t stand me…”

“I should… Maybe go back to the medical wing…” Newt admitted, and Percival was at his side in a moment, resting a hand on Newt’s own.  
“I can help you.”  
“I’ll be fine.” Newt said, following a moment later by the sentence which condemned Percival to awkwardness beyond anything he had ever known.  
“Could you keep an eye on my creatures?”

Percival knew this was a bad idea. Every instinct he had as a Graves screamed at him in unison, telling him to say no. Instead he smiled.  
“I’d love to. You just work on getting better.”  
The relief that shone in Newt’s eyes in response to that was heart-breaking. Percival gently squeezed Newt’s hand. “Don’t you worry. They’re safe with me for as long as you need. I’ll bring some to visit. If you would like?”  
“Dougal.” Newt said quickly. “Pickett’s probably coming with me. Maybe Nick.”  
“You want me to let a niffler loose in the hospital wing?”   
“Of course not.” Newt frowned. “I expect you to take care of the niffler and bring it to see me under control.” Newt sounded so certain that this was how it would go that Percival couldn’t help relaxing a little. He’d helped with the creatures before. He knew them all, knew their names, how to make them listen to him. Anyway, one of the younger aurors frequently brought their dog to work. It had never caused a problem, and he couldn’t imagine this would be much more difficult. Then Newt stumbled from the room, leaving Percival alone with the case, and he began to wonder if he might have taken on a task that was far too big for him.

Still, first he would need to feed the creatures, and he climbed down into the case to do just that. He prepared the food, the same as he had seen Newt do on several occasions, and then started to bring the food to the right creatures. The graphorn and nundu were first to feed, as they were largest and potentially most aggressive. Once they had been fed, he could get to work caring for creatures that were smaller and less risky.

He gave the fwooper some insects and the occamy a cockroach each. He saw that Dougal’s nest appeared empty, but he could not be certain if that was because the demiguise was absent, or merely because he had chosen to temporarily hide from view. Finally, he went to feed Nick. Despite all his complaining, he had quite a fondness for the naughty and active little niffler – its mischievous expression always made him smile, and it seemed to be quite intelligent. Unfortunately, today’s intelligence had chosen to present as an escape. He looked around the case, before reluctantly clambering back to his office.

He expected to be faced with chaos. Instead, he found Nick pressed to the glass of one of his cabinets, staring in fascination at the objects beyond.  
“Those are all cursed.” Percival muttered, picking the niffler up and placing him on his lap, stroking the dark fur. “Don’t you worry. He’ll be fine.” Nick gazed up at him with huge brown eyes, and Percival hoped he hadn’t just lied. He gently stroked Niffler until he calmed, drifting off to sleep. 

Percival was starting to fill in a form using a spelled pen when a knock came on the door, and a junior healer walked in. She dropped a wriggling paper bag on his desk then turned away.  
“He was causing chaos.” She explained. “I thought he’d be safer with you.” With that she left, closing the door more carefully behind her. He tried not to overthink the way she had barged in – a few weeks previously the wards he had had would have stuck her to the ceiling for such an action. He had relaxed a lot since then.

Percival cautiously opened the bag, catching Pickett as he launched out towards Percival’s face, tiny teeth bared and fingers twisted in the shape of claws.  
“Easy.” Percival murmured. “I know you’re worried about him, but the doctors are trying to help-“

Pickett was wriggling in his grasp, trying to escape him. Percival allowed it for a minute, until he calmed enough to listen.  
“You can sit in my pocket today, and then when I go and see him later you can come too, how does that sound?”  
There was a pause, and then Pickett nodded. It was a small and grumpy nod, but given the circumstances Percival was willing to take what he could get.

He resumed his paperwork, talking under his breath to Pickett and Nick. Whatever he was saying seemed to calm them, and he kept his voice gentle. He was just beginning to relax when he saw the lid of the case open up and then close again, nothing appearing to leave it.  
“Hello Dougal.” He greeted the demiguise, feeling it clamber up to rest between the seat and his back, rubbing his shoulders. The demiguise’s adoptive son was clung to his shoulder as always.

Pickett seemed to catch on, climbing from Percival’s pocket to the top of his head, then chittering in irritation at the pomade in his hair. He slid back down to pat Percival’s ear – an action which was surprisingly ticklish. Percival bit his lip to hold in a giggle, and carefully guided the bowtruckle back into his pocket. Obediently, Pickett curled up, and then squeaked at finding a woodlouse. Percival thought it was a sad reflection on his life that there was already a woodlouse in his pocket, awaiting the arrival of a hungry bowtruckle. As though knowing what he was thinking, Dougal nuzzled his shoulder. Percival smiled and patted him affectionately.

Dougal at least was easy to manage - he was a sweetheart even at the worst of times, and Percival suspected he could tell that they were worried right now. He swallowed, turning to the demiguise and his baby Damien.  
"Do you think I should be worrying?"

There was a pause, as Dougal's eyes flashed a brilliant blue. Percival had seen him use his powers before on numerous occasions, but he still found it startling to be faced with that before his eyes reverted to their usual brown, so human in appearance. Dougal shook his head, and Percival let out a breath that he hadn't realised he had been holding. He didn't want to allow himself to think too much about what that meant, about how much he trusted the demiguise to make the right call on this issue.

He carried on with the paperwork, and looked up only when his lap became suspiciously lighter. He looked up to see the tail end of the niffler disappear beneath the door. He cursed under his breath, imagining how it would feel to tell Newt that he had lost one of his favourite creatures while Newt was receiving medical care. It wasn't a scenario that he wanted to see played out.  
"Nick?" He called, his voice firm despite his fear. "Nick, I want you to come back here right this instant. Or I will tell your mummy."

There was no response, other than a couple of the nearer aurors looking up at him, eyebrow raised. He cursed again, and began the task of searching for the niffler.

Had he known what it currently had stowed away in that pouch, it wouldn't have taken long to discover him. But without that knowledge, it all felt rather impossible. He had just managed to summon the coins from Goldstein's wallet when one of the aurors waved him over, holding up a hand and signalling for quiet.

Percival approached, and paused when he saw what his auror had seen - a ball of dark fluff curled up in the bottom of a box.  
"What's in there?" If he knew that, he could catch the damned creature.  
"No idea sir. It just dived straight in-"

Percival knew that the creatures' safety mattered more than his own dignity, so he dived forwards, landing on top of the creature and managing to fish it out of the box, holding it firmly. Then he flipped it and ran his fingers over its stomach, tickling it the way that Newt had taught him to.

Nick obligingly released a handful of shiny coins and other treasures including pen lids, a cufflink, and a small brooch. He picked it up and then dropped it as though it had burned him when he saw the design that was placed on it. It was one he had seen far too many times before, one that haunted his nightmares.  
"Where did you get this?" He asked Nick. Nick circled once, then headed straight to one of the junior aurors. The auror reached for his wand, but Percival was faster, disarming him with a flick of his hand.  
"Goldstein, Langarm, take him for questioning. The rest of you, sort out this mess - " He pointed at the discarded treasures, then searched through his pockets until he found a shiny silver coin which he handed to the niffler.

The niffler looked at it for a moment, the rubbed it against its fur to increase its shine. Seemingly happy with the result, it shoved the coin in its pouch. Percival chuckled.  
"Greedy little thing..."  
He patted its head indulgently, and carried it back to its office. "You did well there Nick. But no stealing from my aurors."

The niffler happily purred in response, rubbing its pouch. Percival snorted but slipped him another coin.   
"Now, I want you to stay here okay? Or I can put you back in the case, your choice."   
The niffler squeaked at him for a moment before falling quiet, and he smiled, hoping it had just offered to behave.

***

That evening he went to visit Newt in the medical wing, Pickett on his shoulder and Dougal and Damien clung to his shoulders. The two demiguises rushed over to their human as soon as they saw him, and Pickett wasn't far behind For Newt's part, he seemed delighted to see the creatures - and Percival - and was sat up in bed, looking far healthier than he had that morning.

Percival explained his day.  
"Have you been to interrogate that man yet?" Newt asked, and Percival shook his head. For a moment Newt frowned, and then he smirked.  
"You know, I think some of the other creatures might be able to help you with it.”  
Newt's plan, when he explained it, made Percival very glad that they were on the same side. He would have hated to face someone with the potential for evil that Newt hid so well behind kind eyes and a gentle smile. Still, having kissed Newt goodbye, Percival went to work. Just because an idea was evil and terrifying didn't mean that it wouldn't work.

He read through the files that he had gathered about the Junior Auror. Neilson had turned up during Grindelwald's period of impersonation, with excellent credentials from several respected aurors. He had only been at the bottom of the auror ladder, and his work had neither been exceptionally terrible or exceptionally brilliant. He was easy to miss. If the Niffler hadn't found Grindelwald's emblem among his belongings, it would have been easy to miss him.

Percival briefed the creatures he planned to bring in, making sure that they understood they were there to threaten, not to eat. It took a little while, but eventually the creatures seemed to get on board. The nundu at least recognised his voice when he told her not to do something, and had enough respect for Newt's mate to not do it. The swooping evil was more of a wild card, but Percival knew how to stun it in an emergency.

Fluffy prowling at his side, and the swooping evil's cocoon tucked into his hand, he made his way into the cell. The prisoner looked up, eyes widening in fear when he saw Percival and his companion.  
"You aren't allowed to have creatures-" He began, and Percival raised his hand.

"This nundu is the property of Newton Scamander, and I can guarantee that I have every permit he might need. He is exceptional, and has been permitted creature licences due to the nature of his work. We are not here to talk about him today though, are we Neilson? We are here to talk about you..."

He trailed off into silence, and the nundu moved forwards to sniff at Neilson's hand. It was a friendly gesture, but Percival saw the man tense in terror.  
"He was you. When he started I mean- he said I'd be helping. And by the time he continued...By the time the truth came out he had enough to ruin me... I'm sorry..."

Percival raised an eyebrow.  
"I don't believe you."  
"I'm telling the truth. Veritaserum me if you want. I ... I wanted to be found out."

Snorting, Percival flicked the swooping evil towards his face. It roared to life, wings spread and flapping, snarling between roars. It was an impressive sight before it dived back into its shelter. Neilson was trembling like a leaf, but shook his head.  
"I told you the truth."

Percival nodded slowly.  
"You'll be staying in here for a while. You will give a full statement to Goldstein, including anyone else who might be involved, and then we will decide what to do with you."

He walked out, and once he had locked the door of the room he crouched down to tickle Fluffy beneath the chin.  
"Good girl, you are the best nundu, yes you are..." He cooed at her, then returned to the case.

With Newt absent, he decided it would be easier to do his work in the case itself - if nothing else it would stop the creatures that were lonely attention seekers from breaking out. He clambered down, and felt a familiar weight rest on his shoulders - a thin occamy who nuzzled into his body warmth. A moment later, the occamy was joined by another familiar weight - this time something warm settling on his head and starting to hum. 

He reached up to scoop the puffskein into his arms, cuddling for a moment before releasing her to her favourite perch. She climbed onto his head once more, licking at the wax holding his hair in place.

He was so used to her he didn't even try and stop her.

*** 

The next morning, Newt looked a little healthier. He was still pale, but the circles beneath his eyes had disappeared, and he smiled the moment he saw Percival.  
"How have they been?"  
"Good."  
"You have puffskein fur in your hair."  
"She thinks it's a nest." Percival explained and Newt leaned up to hug him.  
"They said I can go home." He explained. "As long as I don't cause any problems and I take it easy."  
"Alright." Percival helped him to his feet. "Just I'm not babysitting that lot again"

From Newt's shoulder, Pickett squeaked, and Percival was left with the impression he had just been accused of lying.


End file.
